Residents call for removal of city manager, councilman

Monday

Some Columbia residents spoke before the Columbia City Council and called for the removal of the city manager and one councilman on Monday, though for different reasons.

During a scheduled time period for public comment during the evening council meeting, a small group of residents stood up and called for the resignation or removal of City Manager Mike Matthes because of controversial comments he made during a diversity event. Another group of individuals then defended the city manager.

The city manager has previously apologized for offending anyone during a presentation he made about race and bias during the 2018 Columbia Values Diversity Celebration. Several residents who attended the breakfast contacted city leaders and council members stating they found comments Matthes made racist and inappropriate.

Suzanne Bagby, who identified herself as a member of group Race Matters, Friends, as well as Sarah Senff, who said she was a graduate student, both called for the city manager’s removal. Speaking in support of the city manager was Mary Ratliff, former president of the Missouri NAACP, and Valerie Shaw, who is also a member of the NAACP.

Bagby repeatedly drew from a part of Matthes’ speech where he said he has biases which can make him an uncomfortable white man around black people. She said the correct term to use was not “uncomfortable white man,” but was “white supremacist.”

“Uncomfortable is having to explain to my child that he didn’t get the job because of the way he chooses to wear his hair,” Bagby said. “Uncomfortable is being a Columbia resident and once again being victimized and disrespected by you, Mr. Matthes.”

Noting the breakfast comments, Senff said she lacked faith that Matthes could effectively lead the city through a police department transition to a community-oriented policing model. The city council in the coming weeks will consider a resolution declaring support for a community-oriented policing philosophy and request a transition plan from Matthes.

Members of the NAACP disagreed with the first two speakers and said conversations around race are always going to be uncomfortable. Ratliff commended Matthes for being brave enough to recognize his biases.

Being “uncomfortable” is a way of life for black Columbia residents, Shaw said, and people “need to have these difficult conversations we are going to move forward.” She said she appreciated information Matthes shared at the breakfast as part of his speech, including statistics he provided which showed wide disparities in Columbia for income.

“I actually wanted his slides (and that information), so I was surprised the next day to see all the controversy,” Shaw said.

Second Ward Councilman Michael Trapp was also the target of a call for removal on Monday, though for a different reason and by the man challenging him for his seat on the council this April. Paul Love, who is a network administrator for Carfax and a candidate for the Second Ward, has repeatedly voiced his disapproval of Trapp’s recent vote on a tax-increment financing project.

On Monday, he called for Trapp to resign, or the remainder of the council to “remove him for just cause,” because he believes Trapp’s vote on the TIF was unlawful. The city charter does not give the council the power to vote a member out of office. The charter states a council seat will be vacated if a member is convicted of a crime involving “moral turpitude.”

The TIF project in question was approved in December 2017 by the council to help add a second tower to the Broadway Hotel. Love’s problem with Trapp having voted on it stems from the fact that the hotel’s owner, Dave Parmley, is on the board for the Downtown Community Improvement District. The CID hired Trapp in 2017 with a $26,000 contract to do outreach work with homeless individuals.

Love said he believes Trapp’s employment was a conflict of interest and he should have recused himself from the vote. He also said he thinks his vote was unlawful, citing a section of city code that pertains to regulations for city employees.

Council members are elected officials. Love said he believes the $6,000 annual stipend ward representatives receive makes Trapp an employee, meaning those regulations should apply to him.

Because Love made his comments during a section of the council’s meeting where members do not have a chance to speak, Trapp was not given the opportunity to respond to Love’s request before the Tribune’s Monday evening print deadline.

At a forum last week, Love made a similar attack on Trapp, who defended his employment with the CID and stated the contract was earned fairly. Trapp submitted the lowest-cost proposal to do the job, which the CID bid out through its normal public process. Last week, he said his bid was 30 percent lower than the next bidder.

Trapp cited the many years of experience he has assisting people in need, including his work as executive director of Phoenix Programs, as evidence he was qualified to earn the contract. He said he did not have a conflict of interest because he did not stand to financially gain from the TIF vote.

ccampbell@columbiatribune.com

573-815-1718

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